"In central Queensland alone we have a population of about 242,000 people," he says.

"84,000 of those people have at least one chronic disease and that's right now.

"What we're going to see over the next 10, 20 years, if we don't make significant investments in our health in this region, we're going to be come more unhealthy and to greater costs to hospital services."

He says the findings show a real problem.

"What we're seeing is that, in particular rural communities and outside the metropolitan areas there's a significant burden of disease right across the region," he says.

"This includes people being more overweight, exercising less and having poor access to a healthy diet but this leads to an increased risk of heart disease, heart disease, as well as things like emphysema and chronic lung problems."

The report found that men are almost 30 per cent more likely to be overweight than females.

"It's interesting that some of the data that we're seeing, the death rates, the mortality rates for men particularly in central Queensland is much higher than the rest of Queensland which is quite distressing," he says.

Among those aged between 18 and 75, only half achieved the recommended 30 minutes of vigorous exercise five times a week.

Dr McPhee says lifestyle in rural communities has contributed to the problem, as has the mining industry.

"Rural communities and mining communities where people are working long hours, not doing regular exercise, sometimes having to skimp on meals or eating when they can on fast food," says Dr McPhee.

He says coastal communities are in a much better position because people are often more relaxed and have the time to look after themselves.

Dr McPhee says it's up to communities and councils to help solve the problem.

"They can look at how to modify environments to make access to exercise, access to healthy diet, access to good quality education and even simple things like going back to good child care," he says.

He says a stronger focus needs to be on primary care and less on secondary.

"Where the real bang for buck is, is getting out there into the community to see how we can change it so we can get more exercise, they eat proper food, they have less in stress in their life and this is what we call primary care," says Dr McPhee.